Ammonium recovery with energy consumption using ammonium sulfate salt with varied current densities and Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis cell configurations

Abstract

In developing countries with increased industrialization, much research is carried out in order to recover the maximum ammonium from the environment. One of the methods to recover ammonium is Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis (BPMED), a chemical-free technology that enables recovery and purification of the corresponding acid and base by the application of electrical energy. This thesis aims to evaluate five different BPMED cell configurations using the ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4) salt. Experiments are based on evaluating operational parameters including flow rate, feed volume, base volume, and current density to achieve the maximum ammonium recovery using ammonium sulfate salt with efficient electrochemical energy consumption. Additionally, the optimum experiment was carried out with the best results of operational parameters to understand the overall impact on ammonium recovery and electrochemical energy consumption.